It's all relative..
I bought my first my first NVD in 1994, a russian dual tube that really wasn't much more than a conversation piece. IIRC, I spent $400 on it but they are $600-$700 now for the exact same model. The goggles were horrible. They were heavy and painful to wear, had FLAT SPOTS on the lenses, and would have been spotty at best for picking out a man in full moonlight at 100 yards in open terrain. I sold them 8 years later with about an hour on the tube.
Fast forward to 2004 and I found a 51lpmm pair of PVS7's here on the EE for $1400. The tube was made in 1995. Holy smokes what a difference. I'd still have them today if I hadn't come across a smoking deal for a Pinnacle-tubed PVS7D on Ebay.
You can get a reasonably workable Rusian goggle like the D121 for $1200, but for a few hundred more you can get a goggle that actually works and is supportable for the next 20 years.
It's not a snobbery thing, buy the best you can-but be advised that NVD's become practical and worth paying for when you are buying a mid-90's and up unit.
Learn from me: Buy cheap, buy twice.
Dave